2008 Woodie Awards
No Dirk, No Playoffs For Mavericks
NBA
Joe Colombo
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: Sports
The Dallas Mavericks will be playing their last regular season game on April 16 against the New Orleans Hornets. After the final buzzer, the Mavs will be staying home.
Dirk Nowitzki and Co. will not be found on the road to the NBA Finals, unless they have their thumb sticking out along the side. When the regular season is all finished out, this will be the ninth-best NBA Western Conference team.
Seeds one through six in the West will not be budging during the last three weeks of the regular season, and that hurts Dallas, who currently holds the No. 7 spot. Recently losing their most valuable player, Nowitzki, for an indefinite period with a sprained ankle and knee doesn't help their case either.
As the season winds down, the West will come down to a photo finish. The top nine teams are separated by just six games, and Dallas is four games out of first. There are a few teams who may be vulnerable to playoff-time pressure, including Phoenix, Golden State, Denver, and Dallas. Unfortunately for the Big D, the teams surrounding them are healthy and better prepared for success in the West. Here are the current five through nine seeds:
San Antonio hit a bit of a cold streak in early March. After losing six of seven games - all against playoff teams with exception to the Denver Nuggets - the No. 5 seed has bounced back by winning four in a row, three of which were on the road. Although they have a few challenging games left before the end of - who am I kidding? This is the San Antonio Spurs. Their three-man nucleus (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan) always play after April. They and the playoffs go together like Guinness and Baileys on St. Patrick's Day.
The other team above Dallas is the No. 6 seed Phoenix Suns. The Suns are coming off a snapped seven-game winning streak, losing to the Detroit Pistons in The Palace. However, their remaining schedule isn't too difficult, and their scoring ability will get them playoff access alone. How they will fare in the playoffs with Shaquille O'Neal is a different story.
Dirk Nowitzki and Co. will not be found on the road to the NBA Finals, unless they have their thumb sticking out along the side. When the regular season is all finished out, this will be the ninth-best NBA Western Conference team.
Seeds one through six in the West will not be budging during the last three weeks of the regular season, and that hurts Dallas, who currently holds the No. 7 spot. Recently losing their most valuable player, Nowitzki, for an indefinite period with a sprained ankle and knee doesn't help their case either.
As the season winds down, the West will come down to a photo finish. The top nine teams are separated by just six games, and Dallas is four games out of first. There are a few teams who may be vulnerable to playoff-time pressure, including Phoenix, Golden State, Denver, and Dallas. Unfortunately for the Big D, the teams surrounding them are healthy and better prepared for success in the West. Here are the current five through nine seeds:
San Antonio hit a bit of a cold streak in early March. After losing six of seven games - all against playoff teams with exception to the Denver Nuggets - the No. 5 seed has bounced back by winning four in a row, three of which were on the road. Although they have a few challenging games left before the end of - who am I kidding? This is the San Antonio Spurs. Their three-man nucleus (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan) always play after April. They and the playoffs go together like Guinness and Baileys on St. Patrick's Day.
The other team above Dallas is the No. 6 seed Phoenix Suns. The Suns are coming off a snapped seven-game winning streak, losing to the Detroit Pistons in The Palace. However, their remaining schedule isn't too difficult, and their scoring ability will get them playoff access alone. How they will fare in the playoffs with Shaquille O'Neal is a different story.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Bro
posted 3/27/08 @ 10:00 AM EST
Better than half the teams in the east for sure..the KNICKS ARE TERRIBLE
Post a Comment